The costume
by merler27
Summary: The children of Mrs. Sampson's first grade class are dressed up for the yearly Halloween parade, some take their costumes more seriously then others. The story's main focus is on Sam a young girl who is discovering what it means to have true friends and be a girl.
**The Costume**

Well I think you look ridiculous. Why would you want to be a pirate? Only yucky boys want to be pirates. Samantha, who preferred Sam, looked from her pirate costume to the two fairies and four princesses surrounding her. She had decided on pirate because she had wanted to stand out in the costume parade the children were now lining up for. Now she realized that really in her school standing out only made you a target and she wished more than anything to be prancing around in a tight scratchy princess dress, if only to avoid the glares and disapproving nods of her friends.

Not knowing what to say she quietly walked away from the other children and sat scrunched tightly behind a bookshelf watching as the teacher went from child to child zipping zippers, tying hats under chins, and finding creative ways to attach shields and swords to hips. At last everyone was ready.

The teacher saw Sam peeking sullenly from behind the shelf. "Are you coming Samantha she tried to ask kindly. Sam cringed at the use of her full name, Mrs. Samson didn't believe in nicknames. Before she could say anything a young boy portraying the wizard merlin was unceremoniously thrown to the floor by one of the knights, who tried to explain that he had only done it to appease King Arthur, who was found laughing hysterically at the chaos he managed to cause distracting Mrs. Samson completely.

She leaned against the wall tiredly waiting for the boys to stop talking over each other. Well she said at last after the boys had finally quieted down since you Angus seem to have taken so kindly to Even then I suppose you won't mind being his partner for the parade. "But I'm already with Lance," Angus stammered. Sam wanted to laugh at the look on his normally smug face, but was afraid the gestor would re-attract the teacher's attention. Lance can be with Gwen. This time Sam really did laugh at the blush she saw creeping up her once best friend's cheeks she knew that Gwen had had a crush on Lance for ages and she couldn't think of a better way to get back at her. She could have sworn she saw Mrs. Sampson wink at her. Maybe she's not so bad after all Sam thought as she smiled back.

Mrs. Sampson turned back to Even and Angus, now, you two will continue to be partners in every group project for the rest of the year, and she cut in before either boy could argue we will be moving your desks together to the front of the room. Now if everyone is quite finished we have a parade to get to. She marched to the front of the line leading them out of the classroom two by two Angus and Even glaring at each other all the way out of Sam's view.

Sam sighed, again looking down at her costume. She was still a pirate and she was still not wanted by her group of so called friends. She looked at the bookshelf beside her and exclaimed joyfully as her eyes caught sight of a torn tattered cover placed on the bottom left shelf where it could easily have been overlooked. She gingerly extracted the book and placed it softly across her lap. The book title was Peter Pan. A book her mother used to read to her every evening, though she had since taken up this responsibility because she could now read herself.

After they were through reading one night she had remembered asking her mother why there were no lost girls in the story. Her mother told her that girls could do anything a boy could, that Peter was often played by a girl in some stage productions. So she had figured that if Peter could be a girl then Captain Hook could be as well. The villains were more fun anyway. Judging by her friends reactions this was obviously not the case.

She was so distracted by these thoughts that at first she didn't notice the small boy watching her. She jumped at the nudge to her foot. She looked up only to find her own Peter Pan staring at her shyly. "I I-m I'm sor-ry if I st-st- star start-led y-ou." He stuttered out looking worried. I- ju—ju—st wa—ted to t-ell y-ou th—that I li—ke yo—ur c-co—stume. "Th-ank you," she stammered back surprised to find anyone else in the classroom with her. "I I've a-alwa—ys l—l—liked th—at bbook," he said pointing to the book's cover. "Me to she answered her voice suddenly quiet. "would you like to sit down and read it with me." She said rather quickly before her brain could overthink things. He smiled eagerly taking a seat beside her. This was defiantly better then waving like some princess in a stupid parade.


End file.
